1. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar for 8 minutes. After 4 minutes, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl and allow it to continue to cream for another 4 minutes.

2. While the butter and sugar are creaming together, sift together the flour and baking powder and set aside.

3. Now add eggs one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar, allowing it to mix well after each addition.

5. Now alternatively add the flour and the milk. Start by adding half of the flour, mix until the flour disappears. Now add half of the milk and mix until everything has just combined, add half of the remaining flour and mix, repeat this process by adding the remaining milk and flour. Always start by adding the dry ingredients and end with adding the dry ingredients. (Also always make sure you scrape the sides of the bowl down unless you are using a paddle attachment with a scrapper. This is extremely critical when baking.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add all the ingredients but only add 2 cups of the flour. Mix until the dough is smooth. Slowly add remaining flour but only adding 1/4 cup of flour at a time. Add enough flour that the dough is sticky but not too sticky. Scrape bowl down and shape dough into a bowl and place back into a bowl, covered with cling film. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour. If you are going to allow the dough to rise longer, place dough in the refrigerator and allow it to rise for up to a total of 12 hours.

Once dough as risen, punch dough down and on a lightly floured surface roll down until about 1/4 thick and cut out dough with a floured doughnut cutter. Place on floured cookie sheet and dust the tops of the doughnuts lightly with flour and cover lightly with cling film. Allow the doughnuts to rise for 45 minutes.

In a medium pot heat up at least 2 inches of vegetable oil to 315 - 330 degrees F and easily lift a doughnut up and place into the oil and fry for about 45 seconds or until golden brown and use a skewer or pair of tongs to flip doughnuts and fry until golden brown, remove from oil and place onto a try heavily lined with kitchen towels allowing them to drain and cool completely. Dip doughnuts in desired glaze and allow the glaze to harden slightly before serving.

1. In a large heatproof bowl combine the sugar, flour, salt, both vanillas and milk. Mix until everything is combined and place on top of a pot over boiling water to create a double boiler.

2. Allow mix to heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often using a wire whisk.

3. Add the egg yolks and mix until everything is well combined. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl to make sure there are no pudding building up on the sides of the bowl. This will also help prevent lumps from forming.

4. Allow the mixture to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes stirring the mixture with a whisk every 2 to 3 minutes.

5. While the pudding mixture is cooking, spread half the vanilla wafers across the bottom of a large pan or casserole dish. Cut desired amount of bananas and spread them evenly across the top of all of the vanilla wafers. Top with remaining vanilla wafers.

6. Once the mixture is thick remove from the heat, and pour evenly across the top your prepared pan of bananas and wafters. Gently fold everything together allowing the mixture to coat everything.

7. Allow the mixture to cool on the counter for 15 minutes and cover with cling film and chill in the refrigerator for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Cover with whip cream.

Whip Cream Directions-

1. Pour heavy cream into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment.

2. Turn stand mixer on low and allow the mixture to whip for one minute.

3. After one minute pour in the superfine sugar and allow to mix on speed 3 for 1 minute.

4. Turn the mixer on high and whip for 20 to 30 seconds. The mixture will be pretty close to a stiff peak. Pour in the vanilla and whip for 5 to 10 seconds on high.

*Important note: allow the bowl and the whip attachment to sit in the freezer for at least 20 minutes.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F and in a cast iron or oven safe skillet heat 4 tbsp of oil while you make the cornbread. The oil needs to be very hot when you pour the batter in the pan.

Cornbread Directions

1. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients, being sure there are no clumps of baking soda in the mix.

2. Add eggs, butter, and buttermilk and mix until smooth.

3. Pour batter in the middle of the oil and smooth out. Put the pan back into the oven and reduce the oven temp to 400 degrees F. Bake 45 mins or until cornbread is brown, dry.

4. While your cornbread is baking, cook the sausage in a medium skillet, crumbling it with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Once the sausage is done, remove and set aside.

5. In same skillet heat 4 tbsp of butter, add red peppers and cook for 2 minutes, then add the celery and onions and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. Then remove from heat and set aside.

6. Once the cornbread is done, remove from the skillet and put into a large bowl crumbling the cornbread with a wooden spoon. Add cooked sausage, veggies, sugar and all of the herbs and spices and combine.

7. Add butter, eggs and half of the chicken stock and mix. Once everything is well combined add the remaining chicken stock and mix until everything is well combined.

8. Pour the dressing into a large greased casserole pan and bake in a preheated 375 degree F oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until the dressing is brown and set.

9. Remove from oven and allow the dressing to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

1. In a bowl, sift together cake flour, salt and baking powder and set a side.

2. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar (for about 7 to 10 min). It won't be extremely light in color (don't panic).

3. Add the vanilla, eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

4. Now add the flour and mix alternatively, starting and ending with the flour.

5. Line a cupcake tin with cupcake paper and pour in enough batter to fill each cup just a little under the halfway point. Then bake in a preheated 350 Degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes clean when tested in the center. The cupcakes will be light golden brown in color. Remove cupcakes from the pan and allow them to cool sitting on a wire rack. This will make 24 cupcakes.

Sunday, June 21, 2015

I'm not a fan of traditional buttercream frosting which is butter, shortening, powdered sugar and milk or cream that are them creamed together until light and fluffy. This frosting, in my opinion is entirely too sweet, and it's some what grainy texture is entirely too much for my taste buds to handle.

I came across this frosting recipe in a book I have and it's a french roux buttercream frosting called "Ermine". This frosting is easy to prepare, it starts off by making a blonde roux, instead of cooking the flour in the butter, it is slowly dissolved into milk that is heating on the stove. Slowly dissolving this into the milk that is heating works like magic to help you avoid any lumps in this roux.

After the roux is prepared, it needs to poured into a bowl and covered with plastic wrap. The plastic wrap must be pressed against the top of the roux, and then placed in the fridge to cool. Pressing the plastic on the top of the roux, prevents the top of the roux from forming a skin on top.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour (5 tbsp)

1 cup of granulated sugar

1 cup of whole milk (it must be whole milk or this will not work correctly)

2. In a medium saucepan, heat the milk on a medium high flame. As the milk beings to get hot while whisking, slowly add the dry ingredients about 1/4 cup at a time in the center of the pot. Repeat this process until all of the dry ingredients have been added to the milk. Add the vanilla and continue to whisk until the roux begins to thicken.

3. Change to a wooden spoon as the mixture begin to thicken and constantly stir the roux, being sure there are no uncooked bits of flour.

4. Cook on a medium high flame constantly stirring. It is important to scrape the entire bottom of the pot to prevent roux from burning. Cook for approximately 2 to 3 minutes or until the mixture is extremely smooth and shiny.

5. Pour the mixture into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, allowing the plastic wrap to cling against the top of the roux. Doing so will prevent the roux from forming a skin. Allow to chill 1 to 2 hours in the fridge.

6. After the roux has chilled, pour the roux into a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Slowly increase the speed to high and allow the roux to whip for about 2 minutes.

7. After the roux has whipped for 2 minutes, scrape down the sides of the bowl and turn the mixer on medium. Add the butter 1 cube at a time. After the cube of butter has completely mixed into the roux, add another cube of butter. Continue to do this until all the butter has completely whipped into the roux. Scrape the bowl down after adding half of the butter. Once completed this frosting is ready to use. Add food coloring if desired. If the frosting is too soft due to your room being hot, simply place into the fridge until the frosting firms up a bit.